Wreck-It Ralph is the 9-foot-tall, 643-pound villain of an arcade video game named Fix-It Felix Jr., in which the game's titular hero fixes buildings that Ralph destroys. Wanting to prove he can be...
Wreck-It Ralph wrecks your screen with vivid pixels, polygons and plenty of heart. Leave it to Disney to produce an animation hosting one of the largest character rosters all from different intellectual properties, and yet not concede to obvious product placements. I see Sonic the Hedgehog in all of his "you're too slow!" glory, but never once feel persuaded to go out, buy the game and rage quit after failing Green Hill Zone Act 1. The focus is completely on Ralph's story. A villain from an arcade game grows tired of being the bad guy, and so drifts off into other games in order to prove that he can be the hero. However in doing so, his game risks being decommissioned, jeopardising the characters' lives in the process. It's a relatively simple story, an individual finding their purpose and not wanting to conform to their programmed design. Ralph's development is the most engrossing aspect of this film. Yes, the animation is gorgeous and fluid, as if playing 'Hero's Duty' at 60fps and in 4K. And yes, the voice acting is unsurprisingly fitting for all characters, particularly Reilly and Silverman. But the amount of natural change in Ralph as the film progresses is quite extraordinary. It's to be expected, however it irrefutably makes him an endearing character. As I mentioned earlier, intellectual properties can be spotted in every corner. Q*bert, Sonic, Bowser and a plethora of other famous creations, roam around the hub world acting as simple easter eggs for retro video game fans. Never once utilised to progress the story, just environmental details. It works as sufficient world building. The narrative structure however is somewhat fractured, with arcade games acting as genre shifts. 'Hero's Duty' provides the action, whereas 'Sugar Rush' enhances the story's sweetness. These shifts disable a lack of narrative flow, splitting the story up into different segments. The antagonist also felt unnecessary, and forcibly had a backstory just to quantify a plot twist. Still, another creative addition to Disney's animated resurgence. 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit?' for the new generation.
